Exploration Between The Distance
by lon3lynation
Summary: Quinn longs to be on the road to distance herself from everything. She just didn't expect to hear from one Rachel Berry, whom she finds out is the owner of the car and phone she had stolen. Throughout the duration of Quinn's trip across the country, they begin to form an unlikely bond over the miles of distance between them. Criminal theme for Faberry Week 2015.
1. Chapter 1

Restlessness. The word rolled around in her mind and defined the jitters her body experienced. It was getting tiresome roaming around on the streets looking for opportunities to pickpocket some cash for a bus ticket, just to find herself in yet another small boring town. Well, that was usually the case, but her latest stop was in New York.

Pick pocketing an oblivious stranger still gave her a bit a thrill but it was also a necessity to help get herself a meal and pay to stay in a motel or hostel in whatever town she found herself in. It made her wish she could've stolen money from her parents somehow, when she ran away from her suffocating home years back. Or perhaps taken one of their cars, but she had been stubborn at the time.

Young, emotional, and wanting absolutely nothing to do with her parents, which sadly included using their money as well. Not to mention that she wasn't yet a criminal at the age of 17, when she had ran away to a purchase a ticket at the local bus station.

It only took a few months before all her money ran out. She tried to do honest work, earn a paycheck, but it only did so much for her. Staying at a shelter, working a crappy waitress job, it wasn't what she had imagined doing when she ran away. She had wanted a sense of freedom, and being stuck in a place where she was barely making it day by day wasn't cutting it for her.

Eventually, everything changed when a guy bumped into her on the street one day on her way home. It had taken her a moment to realize that the little money she had in her pocket had been stolen by him. Without a thought about what the hell she was doing, or how dangerous it could've been, she turned and chased after the guy until they reached a dead end alley.

She was extremely lucky that day because of all the possible scenarios that could've happened, she never would've suspected that her pickpocketer would end up laughing over the situation and teasing her for chasing him for a measly 7 bucks. That was the start of an odd mentoring friendship that began her thieving ways to help make herself more cash.

There had been some close calls in the beginning, and a couple nights spent in jail, but it didn't stop her from sharpening her brand new skillset to be able to quit her job and travel more from city to city. It was better than the life she was living, and she got more of a taste of the freedom she have been longing for all her life.

Now, after spending a couple months in the ever so busy state of New York, she found herself still longing for more after traveling from place to place on crowded buses. She wanted to be the one behind the wheel, wind blowing through her blonde hair, music blasting from the radio station of her choice, heading everywhere and nowhere at once without having to share the moment with strangers.

Which had led to her staking out some areas and parking lots in hopes of successfully stealing a car to make a desired trip across the country.

As the sky darkened into night, her determined and searching gaze soon found a chance in front of a local store when a lone female figure stepped out of their car without a chirp from their key ring to signal they had locked it before heading inside.

Tugging at the hood of her light jacket and feeling the weight of her backpack secured to her body, she took a step toward the unlocked car with the beats of her heart quickening with each step.

* * *

Rachel wanted nothing more but to get home to her shared apartment and crash onto the couch, or better yet, her bed. Her day had been a long one and her feet were aching after hours of doing rehearsal for a new musical she would finally have a leading role in.

However, to her annoyance, her best friend had chosen to forget about the much needed grocery shopping that needed to be done today. So, instead of blissfully being off her feet in the comfort of her home like she wished, she was pushing a cart through the aisles of their local store, picking items off the shelves with tired grumbles.

After being positive she had everything they needed in her cart, she quickly paid for the items and took the bags in hand to exit the store. Rachel sighed happily, knowing that all that was left between her getting home was just a short drive to the apartment. Then she could get comfortable while making Kurt put the groceries away.

The only problem was that her car wasn't in the parking space where she had left it.

Stuttering to a sudden stop, Rachel stared at the empty spot, completely sure that had been where she had parked her car. She circled, panicked, glancing at the few other parked cars to find that none of them were hers.

"You've got to be kidding me," she gasped, switching the bags to one hand to reach into her pocket for her phone, only to come up empty. Patting her other pockets, the dread only grew more as the realization came to her.

She left her phone in the car.

"Shit. This can't be happening to me," Rachel groaned, palming her face in frustration before huffing out a breath.

No.

Rachel wasn't going to allow this to happen to her. Someone stealing her car was utterly unacceptable. She had only just gotten the car for herself a few months ago it was a lot more reliable to get to places on time, rather than using the subway every day.

She just needed to make the walk home on her aching feet first, which made her groan miserably to herself once more. Whomever had stolen her car was definitely going to hear from her since they also had her phone, and she'd demand them to bring her car back.

Her car was going to be returning to her one way or another.

* * *

Feeling the wheel in her hands, Quinn gripped it until her knuckles turned white as her foot stayed pressed against the pedal of the car she had stolen. Her heart was racing as she frantically checked the mirrors and the road, almost expecting to see flashing lights of a cop car following her.

No police car in sight. No flashing lights or sirens to be heard.

She didn't loosen her grip on the wheel. Not yet. Not until the anxiety that filled her body, that made it shake, and her heart race, began to loosen its hold on her.

Quinn drove out of the city, passed through some more, determined to leave New York altogether. Only then, she'd imagine, it would be enough to feel like she really managed to escape. That she wasn't going to get caught instantly, and that she could actually go through with this idea of hers to travel across the country.

What she hadn't expected was nearly driving herself off the road in fright when a phone suddenly rang from the passenger seat. Cursing quietly to herself, she glanced to the seat where she had tossed her overstuffed backpack, which had apparently hid the phone lying there.

Biting her lip, Quinn chose to ignore it, hoping whoever it was wouldn't try calling again. She needed to focus on the road and getting the hell out of New York. Once she did, she would have to eventually stop and replace the plates, not to mention get an idea of where she was headed first.

However, before she could breathe a sigh of relief when the ringing stopped, it rang again and again and each time Quinn ignored it.

It was putting her on edge, and after the 7th call, Quinn angrily snatched it from beneath her bag and answered it.

There was a brief moment of silence before suddenly a female voice began ranting through the phone.

"Hello? My name is Rachel Berry and the phone you just answered is mine! You also stole my car, which is extremely rude and inconsiderate. Are you aware what you've done is considered a crime? That means you're a criminal! You could very well be charged and arrested for vehicle theft."

Quinn furrowed her brow, still watching the road as she listened to the woman whose car she had stolen. If she wasn't inwardly berating herself for answering the phone instead of simply shutting it off, she would almost be amused by the way she was being told she had committed a crime and was a criminal.

She was quite aware of that.

"I bought that car only a few months ago and you stole it while I was shopping. I had to walk home after a long day because of you. Again, how inconsiderate and wrong that was of you!"

After a brief pause, the woman - Rachel - on the other end spoke up once more.

"Well? What do you have to say for yourself? At least give me enough decency to speak up while I'm questioning you, thief."

Rolling her eyes at being called a thief, Quinn quietly scoffed as she debated how she would respond. It couldn't hurt to momentarily speak to this person, and oddly enough she wasn't feeling as tensed as she was before answering the phone. Perhaps it was just the ridiculousness of the current situation.

Clearing her throat she decided to humor the woman and maybe even stall her from reporting her car missing, since it seems Rachel had chosen to call her stolen phone first just to chastise her.

"Well, Rachel Berry, I was in need of a car. Yours just happened to appear at an opportune time for me to steal it."

There was a rustle over the phone and what sounded like muffled voices until Rachel's voice came clear through the end.

"You-you needed a car? For what? And why my car? It's nothing really special, you know. If you were planning on selling parts or something, I mean. Also there were other cars in the lot, so why didn't you steal one of those instead? I mean, well, okay, not that I'm saying that you should've stolen one of their cars because stealing is bad and you really shouldn't have done that but…"

"You wish that it hadn't been yours, but someone else's car, that I had stolen," Quinn stated with a soft chuckle. "And no, it wasn't for parts, I just needed a car that'll take me wherever I want to go."

"There are other means of transportation if you couldn't afford your own car! What is your name? Where are you?"

"Those other means of transportation are exactly the reason why I decided it was time to get a car." Quinn scoffed once more, amazed that Rachel would actually think she'd reveal her name or whereabouts to her.

"I am a criminal, remember? Telling you my name or where I am would be a mistake on my part. Wouldn't want to increase any odds of getting caught, now would I?"

"I want my car back. You need to turn around and return the car to me. I demand you do so. Then maybe I won't involve the police and we can just settle this between us."

"I can't do that, and I can't trust that you wouldn't have the cops waiting to arrest me if I were to even entertain the thought of doing so. It's too risky, and honestly, I don't take too kindly to being ordered what to do. You'll just have to use other means of transportation, Berry. You'll survive."

"I won't do that, okay? You can trust me. Just please, return the car and -"

"No. I have to do this. I gotta go, alright? Sorry." Quinn sighed as she ended the call, cutting off Rachel mid-sentence and turning the phone off before chucking it back on the seat.

Great.

Now she felt a little guilt, but she had meant it when she said she had to do this. She wasn't about to turn back and possibly get thrown in jail, when she was so close to finally living out her dream of distancing herself from everything bad and living without restriction.

She just needed to get the hell out of New York first.


	2. Chapter 2

Straight to voicemail. Again.

Rachel heaved a frustrated sigh at hearing her own voice pleasantly asking her to leave a message after the beep. Not even hearing her own voice singing for her to have a nice day was cheering her up, which only seemed to further alarm Kurt into snatching his cellphone back from her.

Okay, perhaps it was more likely due to the fact that she had held onto it all night and had been constantly calling her own number to hopefully annoy her car thief into answering the phone again.

It had been a very unsuccessful attempt thus far, to say the least.

"Rachel, you need to stop this. Calling her has been a complete waste of time. The phone is off and will likely stay that way. You should just report it stolen already like you should've last night when you got home."

"Look, she could've easily not answered the phone last night after stealing my car, but she did. What's not to say she won't do it again? If she does, I can continue trying to convince her to return the car and not involve the police. It doesn't have to turn into a big thing. I just have to make her see reason." It was a solid idea, she thought, as she folded her arm across her chest.

"This person is a criminal, Rachel! She knew what she was doing when she decided to commit this crime. Do you really think if you chastise her enough, she'll feel bad and return the car like some child being put in time out for being bad? That's too far fetched, even for you, Rachel."

Frowning from her spot on the couch, Rachel watched Kurt turn away from her to head toward the kitchen area. Well, that was rather rude of him. Directing a small glare at his back, Rachel stood up from the couch and joined Kurt in the kitchen to get herself a much needed cup of coffee.

"Okay, I get that you're not onboard with this but there's no need to try to make me feel stupid for attempting to reach out to someone's conscience. Agree or disagree, I think it's doable, Kurt."

It had been admittedly shocking that the woman that had stolen her car, including her phone, had eventually answered her calls. At the time she had been upset, angry even, that someone would steal from her and focused more on berating the thief for doing so.

However, when they had actually spoken in response to her, it came as a surprise to hear such a soft feminine voice from the other end of the call. So much so that she had nearly dropped the phone before quickly telling Kurt that it was a female thief that stole her car.

After briefly conversing with the woman, failing to get her name and whereabouts, Rachel had learned that she'd have to go about getting her car back another way. It was clear that her thief didn't like being ordered to do something. She needed to take a more gentle route, she decided.

Trust. That was something she needed to attempt to form between the two of them.

If she could manage that, then perhaps she could get her to see the error of her ways and return the car safely back to her. After all, not all criminals were truly bad people and from her short conversation with the woman, she didn't sense any malicious or greedy reasons as to why her car was stolen.

Rachel may not quite understand why it had to lead to stealing someone's car instead of going with other legal options, but she believed the woman when she said she simply needed a car to drive somewhere. Of course, that had sparked some curiosity as to where this woman was going with her car, why and what for exactly.

It was beginning to drive her imagine wild with all possible scenarios.

If only her stolen phone were to be turned back on and her calls were answered instead of ignored, she could actually try to get some answers to her questions and satisfy her curiosity.

"Kurt, can I have the ph-"

"No."

Rachel slouched, instantly pouting at Kurt as she finished pouring herself a cup of coffee.

"But Kurt, -"

"No, Rachel. Shouldn't you be getting ready to go catch the subway for rehearsals anyways?" Kurt nodded over Rachel's shoulder, slight amusement glinting in his eyes.

"What?" Rachel glanced over at the clock hung on the wall. "Oh! Oh, crap. I got to get dressed."

Getting a bit flustered at the sudden lack of time, she made a mess with the sugar, accidentally pouring some of it outside of the mug. Silently cursing to herself and tempted to tell Kurt to clean it up for her, she pushed herself to get it done and quickly cleaned up the pile.

"Okay, this is not over. I'm getting the phone back when I get back home." She wasn't going to be told no again. Nothing was going to change her mind about this plan of hers and it seemed that Kurt was finally realizing this.

"Fine." Kurt sighed. "But you're getting yourself a new phone in between calling your new criminal buddy from mine."

Criminal Buddy.

Rachel rolled her eyes, a grin tugging at her lips as she stirred her coffee before taking a sip, wondering just how far she would have to take this to get her car back. Perhaps she could end up learning more about who this criminal was, who they were as a person, and not just finding out their reasoning behind stealing her car.

"Ow!" She hissed, her wandering thoughts were interrupted by the hot sting of coffee hitting her tongue. Hearing muffled laughter behind her, she snatched the spoon she used to stir, twirled around and threw it at Kurt.

"Watch it!"

"That's what you get for laughing at my pain." She pointed sternly, watching Kurt inspect his shirt for any coffee stains. "You can make it up to me by turning this into a ready to go cup."

Smiling smugly, Rachel marched her way across the apartment to her room, preparing to get dressed. "Thank you, ever so much, Kurt!"

Kurt sighed once again, smoothing his shirt down when deeming it stain-free. "I'm going to have to have a talk with her about toning down the dramatics in the morning." He muttered before reluctantly preparing Rachel's coffee to go.

* * *

Over 400 miles.

Quinn drove from New York, through New Jersey and Maryland, until reaching Virginia early morning and finally allowing herself to slow down and stop to stretch her legs. It had been a long night of being on edge, slight paranoia that she would be caught, especially after hanging up on Rachel. It only seemed likely that the car would've been reported stolen after that.

It would be what any normal person whose car was stolen would do, right? Quinn knew if she had been the one with a stolen car, she would've instantly called the police and filed a report.

Then again, she doubted that many people would've actually attempted to call the person who stole their car and try to get them to return it. She was pretty sure that wasn't a very common thing that happened between criminals and their unfortunate victims. That didn't seem to fit the case for Rachel Berry. Apparently, the woman liked to go against the norm and do things differently.

Like making Quinn feel almost guilty during their call before she quickly ended it. She couldn't have that. She had gone through with her plan, got the car, left New York, and she wasn't about to let a stranger convince her to give it all up.

If she was ever going to return to New York, then it would be after she had reached the west coast and was making her way back east across the country. As far as she was concerned, that wouldn't happen for some time. Months, even.

With that in mind, she pushed it onto the backburner, deciding that nothing would force her to turn around. She was going to enjoy this moment and a stranger wasn't about to ruin that for her.

Turning into McDonald's, she parked the car into a corner spot and cut the engine. After a moment of hesitation, she hid her backpack on the floor before grabbing the cellphone and shoving it into her jeans' pocket. Moments later, Quinn found herself waiting in line, ordering herself a bacon and egg McMuffin along with a cup of coffee.

There were only a few people quietly sitting down and eating their breakfast, so Quinn quickly found a desirable seat by the window after receiving and paying for her food. Removing the phone from her pocket, she set it on the table in front of her to stare at while preparing the coffee to her liking.

She could only imagine what she could find if she were to turn the phone back on. Missed calls, she predicted. Possibly all from Rachel if her hanging up on her didn't crush the woman's hopes of convincing her to return the car. It was safe to say she was curious, maybe, too curious for her own good. However, it wouldn't hurt to use the phone to possibly get some directions and see if there was anything worth seeing before leaving Virginia.

Unwrapping her breakfast sandwich to take a bite, she turned the phone on with her free hand and amusingly observed the sparkly pink casing before the welcome greeting for Rachel popped up. Swiping it aside to unlock the screen, which luckily wasn't password protected, Quinn found her curiosity peak at the photo used as the background.

It was a woman with long brown hair, smiling and posing with their arms raised in front of a theater. That's when Quinn took notice of the text on the sign above the girl. It was promoting some play or musical unknown to her, but what drew her attention was seeing the name Rachel Berry on the sign.

Oh.

That had to mean the woman in the picture was Rachel Berry. It had to be. Surprisingly her first thought was that the girl was tinier than she would've imagined after speaking to her the night before. Perhaps it had been the voice and the demanding attitude the girl had given off, she wasn't sure. Honestly, she was just glad for extra confirmation that she hadn't stolen a car from an old lady or something, because that would've been… pretty terrible.

Thankfully, Quinn could remain guilt-free and feel rather confident that Rachel will do just fine without her car for awhile, especially with those legs of hers. Clearing her throat, she took a sip of her coffee as she scrolled through the several missed calls. All were from Rachel, she suspected, clearly holding her friend's phone hostage over the night. There were also a few text messages from the same number - **Kurt** \- which confirmed her suspicions.

 _'I apologize if I was being too pushy. However, seeing as I'm the owner of the car you've stolen, I think I'm allowed to react as I did. Can we please talk again?'_

 _'Are you going back to ignoring me now? You better be taking care of what you've stolen from me, thief.'_

 _'I meant it when I said I wouldn't involve the police. We can settle this peacefully between us. It can be a win/win. I get my car back and you stay out of jail. Yay?'_

 _'Answer the phone!'_

 _'I hope you know that you should add sleep to the list of things you have taken from me now. Will this be a growing list? I'd like to know if I should prepare myself.'_

 _'Morning, thief person who continues to ignore my calls and texts. I'd like to request that while you have my car, could you please avoid spilling any food or beverages. It's the very least you could do.'_

Quinn wasn't sure how she managed it, but in between chuckling and grinning into her cooling cup of coffee, she eventually finished her breakfast sandwich. It amazed her how persistent Rachel was acting. It was actually a bit impressive, if not also entirely entertaining too. She was almost tempted to text back, to goad Rachel into another rant and perhaps tease her about already leaving a mess in the car. It'd make a nice distraction during her drive if she got bored with the radio. It was still a hell of an odd situation, conversing with the person that she stole a car from, but she hadn't expected to find herself intrigued by this Rachel Berry.

Maybe it'd just been a long time since Quinn had really spoken to another woman around her age. Not to mention that she had been longing for something different, unexpected, and even challenging. Rachel potentially had those attributes and that's why she had taken an interest in seeing how it would all play out.

Suddenly the phone rang in her hand, causing Quinn to smirk as she raised the it to her ear without looking at the caller ID. There was no need, she already knew who had to be calling her.

"Yes?" Quinn drawled, teasingly.

"Um, hello? I'm positive I've dialed the right number." A confused but kind male voice could be heard on the other end of the call, causing Quinn's smile to instantly drop.

"Who is this speaking? Is my daughter, Rachel, around? I'd like to speak to her, please."

Quinn startled upright in her seat, banging her knee against the table as she crushed the wrapper into a crinkly ball, and gaped like the careless fool that she was.

She did not just completely screwed herself by simply answering the phone without looking at the caller ID to see if it was actually Rachel, did she?

Taking a quick glance at the phone, it only further confirmed what an awkward idiotic mess she had just put herself in.

 **Dad & Daddy.**

She really did just do that.

Shit!

* * *

 **AN:** I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that you'll stay around to see where this story will lead for our girls. Thanks.


	3. Chapter 3

"Um," Quinn hesitated, her mouth still flapping open and shut for a moment in disbelief over the situation she had accidentally found herself in.

Meeting the parents of a friend or a significant other was already something she had experienced. It could be a bit anxiety inducing but her meetings with the adults back then usually went smoothly.

After all, her own parents had practically instilled in her to always be presentable to others and polite. To make them wish that their own kid was as good and achieving as theirs. Of course, completely clueless that under the Fabray display, she was an unhappy and lonely girl.

However, this was a completely different situation. An utterly insane moment that shouldn't even be happening, ever. Talking to the father of the woman whose car she had stolen. That just doesn't happen. It wasn't right.

Quinn needed to rein back her control. She needed to get out of this conversation as quickly, but non suspiciously, as possible.

Inhaling a calming breath, she released the crumbled wrapper from her hand and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't realized I answered the wrong phone, sir," she murmured, allowing a soft albeit nervous laugh to be heard. "I guess that's what I get for not looking at the caller ID."

"Oh," the father drawled out. "Well, that clears up some of the confusion. Are you a friend of Rachel's? Wait, silly question. Of course, you are. I doubt my Rachel would just leave her phone around some stranger."

Hearing the voice on the other end laugh at the idea of a stranger answering his daughter's phone made Quinn anxiously bite her lip.

Right.

Such an inane thing to imagine to ever happen to someone. Not to Rachel Berry.

Quietly groaning to herself, she forced herself to join in the laughter before clearing her throat to move the conversation to an end.

"Yeah, that's, uh - exactly, Mr. Berry. So, as you -"

"Enough with this sir and business. You're a friend of Rachel's. Call me Hiram."

"Hiram," Quinn nodded, tracing invisible swirls on the tabletop for a sudden much needed distraction. "Okay. Rachel's not around at the moment. I guess she forgot to take her phone with her."

"I see. I was hoping to catch her before she went off to rehearsals. Did she -" Hiram trailed off.

Quinn stored the tadbit of information on Rachel and rehearsals away in mind before momentarily panicking at whatever caused Hiram to pause mid question.

Was he catching on?

Did he notice that something was off with her?

She may have only been speaking to the man for a few minutes now but she couldn't help the feeling that he wasn't one to usually hesitate with words. Not after getting an ear and textful from Rachel. It didn't seem too far off to assume it ran in the family.

"Did you two have a girl's night? I mean, with her phone being with you at this time of the morning..."

Okay, she hadn't expected that line of questioning. Furrowing her brow down in confusion at the tabletop, she scrambled to come up with something convincing.

"Yeah, yeah. We uh, just hung out and stuff last night. She crashed at my place. It was a tiring day for her." At least that part was true since Rachel had made sure to let her know that she had a long day and had to walk home on tired feet.

"I can only imagine with constantly doing rehearsals, singing, and doing lines. I know she loves it though and I'm such a proud daddy. I'm just glad to know that she has someone to take the load off with after a long day."

Quinn hummed in response, beginning to feel uncomfortable with the fact that she'd let this conversation go as long as it had.

Also that guilty feeling had returned to nag at her again.

"How long have you two girls known each other now?"

Quinn wasn't sure, but she could've sworn that she had heard a smile in Hiram's tone. Fidgeting in her seat, she knew she really had to end this conversation in the next minute because it was becoming too much for her to handle.

"I guess you can say we're fairly new friends."

"I see. Hm, that could explain why I haven't heard about you from Rachel yet. Since it's all so _new_." Hiram chuckled, clearly amused by the topic of their fake friendship.

It was unsettling and even more confusing to hear the almost knowing tone to his laughter. She could almost imagine a scene where she was having this conversation in person with Rachel's dad, that he'd be bumping shoulders with her and grinning knowingly.

Quinn was fully aware that she could've avoided this whole confusing conversation if she had kept the phone off.

"Who knows, with her." She huffed out a chuckle. "Sorry, but I need to get going but I could take a message for her, if you want?"

"Oh, okay, thank you. I'm sorry for taking up your time, dear. I'm sure you have a busy day ahead of you. If you could, tell Rachel that her dads would like to skype with her on Monday, our usual time."

"Don't worry about it, sir. I'll be sure to bring that up to her."

"Thank you, and remember, it's Hiram. It was nice talking to you."

"Hiram, of course. You, as well. Have a good day."

After exchanging goodbyes, Quinn ended the call and tossed the phone on the table to collapse back into her chair in relief. A small grunt sounded from her, making her realize she had been sitting tensely throughout the whole conversation.

A whole conversation that should've been minutes shorter than it turned out to be.

To say she was disappointed in herself and the way she handled the call was a major understatement. If she expected to keep under the radar, continue driving across the country in a stolen car, then she needed to be more cautious. She needed to not make the same mistakes like she had done this morning.

If Hiram had figured out that she was actually not a friend of Rachel's, and was in fact, a stranger that stolen her phone. There was no doubt he would actually report to the police unlike his daughter, who apparently thought she could handle it on her own.

At least she learned that Rachel clearly hadn't told Hiram what happened the night before, which helped with the lies she had told. Hiram believed she was a new friend of Rachel's. Hopefully he would continue believing that for long enough and perhaps she'll be able to stomp down the lingering guilt over it.

Deciding it was time to take a bathroom break and head back on the road, Quinn gathered her trash after draining the last of her coffee and dumped it into the nearby garbage can. She pocketed Rachel's phone in her jeans, and turned around only to bump into the solid chest of a man donning a uniform.

"Oh, sorry. Are you okay there?" the man questioned, oblivious to just how much he caught her completely off-guard.

Firm hands gripped her arms, steadying her, as her eyes took in the police badge pinned on the top left of the man's dark buttoned up shirt.

An uniform with a badge.

She just bumped into a police officer inside a McDonald's.

"I-I'm sorry about that, officer." She muttered, attempting to hide her disbelief and fear behind a forced closed lipped smile. "Didn't see you there. I'm fine, though, thanks."

"If you did, we wouldn't be apologizing to each other right now." The officer responded gruffly but his clear amusement softened his tone enough for her to not take it personally. A quiet sigh of relief escaped her when the officer finally released her arms.

Clearing her throat, she briefly glanced up, catching the man's eyes before switching her view out the window to where Rachel's car sat parked. She could feel her inner panic coming close to overwhelming her.

She needed to leave

"Well, I'll be sure to watch my step next time. I was just leaving. Have a good day, sir." Receiving a polite nod, Quinn edged passed the officer and exited the building out to the parking lot.

It took some restraint from Quinn to basically not sprint to the car to put as much distance as she could between her and the cop. With measured steps, she reached the car and pulled the driver's side door opened before closing it once she was seated inside. She grimaced slightly when her hand reached up to turn the ignition on, momentarily forgetting she had no key to turn.

She really needed to figure out a way to make it less obvious that the car was stolen if anyone were to ever peek inside and see the exposed wires dangling underneath the dash. Grabbing the wires, she gazed anxiously out the windshield as she entwined the correct wires together until the engine roared.

It only took a few moments before she found herself on the road again, and merging back onto the highway. Her own hazel eyes stared back at her as she glanced at the rearview mirror to reassure herself that the police officer hadn't followed her.

Seeing that she was in the clear, she exhaled sharply before grinding her teeth in annoyance while she pulled the car into the left lane.

How had she not noticed that a cop had been standing nearby in the same place as her? Observation and instinctively alert to any possibilities that she needed to tread around carefully had been strengths of hers. It seemed stealing the car the night before had frazzled her normally calm and aware mind.

Quinn shook her head at herself, knowing that she had to somehow snap herself out of the tension she's been feeling. It was something that needed to end sooner than later if she actually wanted to enjoy this impromptu trip of hers. Constantly looking over her shoulders and acting unlike herself could cause actual suspicion. It wasn't what she envisioned, and she was not about to let herself ruin something that could be so good for her.

She had envisioned herself with the windows rolled down, wind whipping through her hair, a content smile on her face while blasting music that perfectly suited the adventurous mood. It was on her to take the step in turning it into a reality. With the image back in mind, she rolled the windows down in the car, and tousled her hair with her hand as she inhaled the morning air.

Soon the realization came that she hadn't exactly took the time to really take in the exterior of the car since she had been so focused on leaving New York. She took note of what looked like a charger for Rachel's phone which would come in handy later, if she continued to hold onto it. There was a musical note hanging from the rearview mirror which seemed fitting after hearing that Rachel was involved in musicals.

However, seeing an air freshener shaped like a gold star next to it was slightly amusing. It was no longer freshening the air, so Rachel was keeping it still for aesthetics reasons, she guessed. It did make her wonder what a gold star air freshener was even supposed to smell like. She didn't have a clue.

Turning her attention to the radio finally, her fingers fumbled briefly trying to find the correct button to switch it on. It had been off when she had stolen the car and she had yet to turn it on herself. Finding the button, she pressed it and sat back comfortably into her seat before jolting slightly at the volume of the song that Rachel had apparently left it at.

" _Yes, I can. No, you can't. Yes, I can. Yes, I can!"_

Quinn's eyebrows nearly reached her hairline as her eyes widened in surprise as Anything You Can Do from Annie Get Your Gun played loudly from the car stereo. She pressed her lips together, listening to the song talking about holding their liquor better and opening a safe as the other called them a crook.

In that moment, with the windows down, her hair flying behind her, a song from a musical that she hadn't been prepared to hear playing, Quinn felt something inside her just crack open and her laughter soon took its place in her surroundings.

She could feel the tension leave her as she continued to laugh and guffaw over the perfectly timed song. Tears pricked her eyes, not necessarily over the song, but over the all emotions that swelled inside her that was starting to put her mind back on track. This was what she wanted. No one, especially not herself, was going to let this moment slip through her fingers.

She was on the road and she was going to explore every mile of distance she could cover.

* * *

AN: Apologies for the longer than I suspected wait. There was going to be more to this with Rachel's POV but decided to split it so I could post something. Faberry interactions will be in the next one. Happy reading! Oh, also to my readers, feel free to suggest any cities or sights you'd like to see Quinn possibly visit during her trip across America.


	4. Chapter 4

After a successful day of rehearsals, Rachel made the trip back home to the Bronx on the subway. She may or may not have pouted to herself the whole time, thinking about her stolen car, her phone, and lastly, her CDs and playlists she had specially made for herself. They were already greatly missed.

During the brief breaks in between rehearsing scenes and choreography, Rachel made sure to let everyone that was in her contacts know that her phone was broken and that she planned on getting a new one soon, along with a new number. It wasn't the exact truth, but she already had Kurt on her about the way she was handling the situation and she didn't need others doing the same.

At least with her half truths, her contacts were much less likely to call her phone number and make her car thief nervous enough to chuck the phone. She couldn't have that happen when her intentions were to talk with the woman and eventually convince her to return her car without involving the police.

Nonetheless, it was an inconvenience that she had to get a whole new phone, number included, when she could easily call to report her phone stolen, get it deactivated, and get a replacement in return. Of course that was what Kurt expected her to do, but she needed the phone to be on or her plan wouldn't have the chance to be put into action.

Having to get a brand new phone was hardly issue enough to change her mind. She could deal, and besides, her original phone case had a few small annoying scratches from dropping it mid-excitement after receiving good news once ...or several times. It had once flew from her flailing hand to smack Jesse on the side of the head. It was almost impressive, how much he could rival her own pout. It didn't stop her celebration, to say the least.

Rachel Berry wouldn't be easily persuaded from doing what she was determined to do.

Arriving at her apartment building, she soon found herself inside and taking the elevator up to her floor. Her and Kurt had made the decision to move to the Bronx from Brooklyn the year before, when they felt confident enough they were able to afford the new place. It wasn't as big and open as the loft, but there were walls that made up bedrooms with actual doors and that was a major improvement from using sheets for privacy. It was something that they were never taking for granted ever again.

However, money would get tight at times paying for the rent but so far, she was proud to say that she and Kurt were doing their best at making it work.

Once the elevator stopped, Rachel stepped off onto the floor unlocked the apartment's door. She tossed her keys into the small bowl sitting on a nearby table, and kicked her shoes off by the door with a sigh of relief. What she needed was a nice and relaxing shower to soothe her muscles. Pulling out her hair tie, she swept her now loose hair over her shoulder and made her way to her bedroom to get fresh clothes for after her shower.

Rachel allowed herself to stay in the shower longer than usual for the pure enjoyment of it. It wasn't often that she got the chance to truly relax or, more accurately, to take herself down a notch or two. It wasn't really in her nature to simply 'chill', for her it's had always been go, go, go. If anything, the blame was on her petite body that always had an abundance of energy that couldn't be tamed.

However, she was older now, and knew how tiring rehearsals were. She couldn't run herself ragged simply because she felt like she had to be doing something more. Sometimes she had to force herself to not find things to do, like re-clean the whole apartment despite having done so the day before.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case for today.

Eventually, after soaking up the heat under the steady stream of water, it begun to cool which signaled that it was time to end the pleasant shower. In moments, Rachel had pulled on clean clothes, after drying herself off and putting her hair into a bun. Only then did her stomach growl to remind her that an early dinner should be made soon.

As she entered the kitchen, she wondered where Kurt was, only to find her answer in form of a note and a phone waiting for her on the marble counter. Seeing Kurt's phone instantly brought everything that happened the night before back to the forefront again. Her hand snatched the phone up and sought out her number in Kurt's contacts before she forced herself to pause. She groaned to herself, any shred of relaxation she had from the shower just minutes ago was fading away.

It was now anticipation, anxiousness and curiosity that filled her. Her mind swam with questions and scenarios surrounding the criminal that stole her car. There were many things she wanted to know.

Where was the thief now?

How was her car fairing?

Did the woman even have a driver's license?

Would she be able to get her car back in one piece?

Did she actually hear the thief apologize to her before abruptly ending the call?

So many questions and so little answers. That was okay, though, because she wasn't about to let a rudely ended call stop her. It only made her all the more determined to find out more about this woman and to get her car back.

However, she knew before she could do that, she needed to read Kurt's note and probably make dinner. With a small slump of her shoulders, the phone was placed back on the counter before she finally read the note.

 _Rachel,_

 _You'll have to fend for yourself for the night if things go accordingly to plan. I know, I'll be missed, but I believe in you._

 _After work, I'll be going out with potential Joey to have ourselves a good time. If all goes well, then don't wait up for me. Like I said, you'll have to fend for yourself until tomorrow. Just promise that I won't come home to a disaster._

 _In the meantime, here's my phone for you to borrow. I'll have you know I feel quite naked without it. This is me demanding you get yourself another phone asap, because this will not become a lasting thing. This is only going to be brief, got it? I need my phone, Rachel._

 _Anyways, if you need me, you can find Joey's number on the phone._

 _Kurt_

Rachel shook her head in amusement as she took in the words. The mischief and sassiness could be easily detected from the written words, definitely something Kurt was proud to call talent. She did hope that the set plans would end well for Kurt. His latest potential boyfriend was actually someone she has met, and she felt that it could lead to somewhere good for once.

She did huff slightly at the nonsense of Kurt thinking she wouldn't be able to care for herself while he was away. There would be no disasters caused by her. Certainly not. Maybe it was something worth worrying about a few years back when she failed to cook and accidentally started fires, but that was no longer true in the present. She's learned to become a better cook since then and hasn't started any kind of fires for nearly two years now.

Her fingers were itching to make the call but she forced herself to put it off a bit longer to make herself dinner and start the process of getting a new phone for herself. Kurt would be happy to know she would hopefully be getting her new phone in a few short days.

Before Rachel knew it, she was plopping down onto the couch with a satisfied tummy and Kurt's phone back in hand. Happy that her wait was finally over, she instantly searched and found her number. After hitting call, she was pleasantly surprised that it didn't direct her to her voicemail like the many times it had done before.

She had wondered if it was going to be a repeat of constantly calling and texting her phone again only to be ignored. It did make her all the more curious as to what made the thief turn her phone on again. Whatever the reason, it was good news, especially so when the line picked up on the other end.

"How nice to know that I won't continually be ignored tonight," Rachel greeted over the phone, hearing what sounded like a tired chuckle in response.

"Hello to you, too, Rachel Berry."

Rachel bit her bottom lip, somewhat flattered that the woman remembered her name and how it sounded so nice in that raspy voice.

"You remembered my name," she couldn't help to state almost happily.

"Well, it's not an everyday thing where I hear from the person whom I stole from to introduce themselves before berating me." Rachel's brow knitted together, almost positive the woman had just rolled her eyes or something of the sort. "Is that a habit of yours? Telling criminals your first and last name, I mean. I'm pretty sure in most cases that would be discouraged."

"No! I haven't - you're the first criminal I've ever got to confront. Not that there have been other criminals. I don't know the correct protocol in a situation like this one. I just wanted to let you know who I was, that I'm a living and breathing person, that you stole from and that I want my car back."

"Protocol, really?" Rachel heard the increasingly frustrating car thief scoffed. "You've made it quite clear last night what you wanted. I'm just saying that introducing yourself to a criminal that just stole something of yours and revealing tidbits of your life to them probably wasn't the smartest thing to do."

"I was upset!"

"You were? I hadn't noticed."

Rachel clenched her jaw as the woman continued on, annoyed at how easy this person was at getting under her skin.

"I have your name, car and your phone. It wouldn't be hard to find out where you live. What if I was more than a simple car thief? One that would come back for you and rob you without a care."

Rachel had to admit she hadn't been in the right mind at the time to exactly think her words through and what consequences they could have resulted. There was no hesitation on her part in answering the question that was thrown at her, however.

"But you're not, are you?"

The muffled movements and breathing on the other end of the line seemed to ceased as Rachel continued, confident of what her observation has revealed to her.

"You may have learned a bit about me from our talk but I've learned a little about you too. I know that you didn't steal the car to make money off of it since you said you weren't going to have it taken apart and that you simply needed a car to drive to wherever you wanted to go. You could've easily said otherwise or nothing at all. There's also the fact that before you so rudely ended our call, you actually said sorry to me. That to me doesn't sound like someone that's a hardcore criminal and unapologetic about it."

Her confidence began to fade away as nervousness took its place. It was unsettling to hear the silence on the other end. Unaware of what the person was thinking or how they were reacting to what she had said. What seemed like minutes when in actuality was just a brief lingering moment, Rachel perked up when the soft voice spoke up.

"Seems like we're breaking down all the barriers here."

Rachel could sense the hesitancy and vagueness in the response. Which barriers were she speaking of? Mental barriers, emotional or perhaps altogether something else?

Whatever she meant, it had to mean progress and that's exactly what Rachel wanted.

This was a start.

"About my ending the call -"

"Abruptly." Rachel added.

"Abruptly. I was already a bit on edge and you weren't quite helping."

"In other words, I was being too intense and pushy?"

Rachel sat back with a small cringe. It was something she had heard all too often by others throughout her life.

"You kept insisting that I bring the car back, to trust you, that police wouldn't be involved. It was too much when all I wanted at that moment was to distance myself as far as I could from New York."

"Wait, does that mean you're out of the state? Is my car still in one piece? Where are you?"

"Yes. Your car is fine, and again, not telling you. Just that I'm no longer in New York."

"Fine. What about a name?"

"Next question."

"I'll get you to tell me your name sooner or later. Until then, I'll be forced to continue calling you criminal, thief, and various other synonyms."

"I wouldn't bet on your chances, but good luck." A small yawn greeted Rachel's ear.

"Why do you sound so tired, anyways?"

"Because you interrupted my dozing."

WIth a sudden image filling her mind's eye, Rachel jumped up from the couch to her feet with a shout.

"Oh my god, did you fall asleep at the wheel?!"

"What? I'm not on the road!"

Oh.

"I'm in a motel room right now to get some sleep since it's been over 24 hours since I've last had any."

Sensing how incredulous the thief was due to her unwanted panic had made her instantly sit back down on the couch, feeling chastened and embarrassed.

"Okay. That makes sense. I may have over-"

"You overreacted. I see now why Broadway has always been a dream of yours. Perfectly suited for dramatics like that."

"I take offense to that, there's a lot more to it and wait, how do you know about Broadway being my dream?"

"That reminds me, your dads want to skype with you on Monday, the usual time."

Shooting back to her feet again to pace across the floor, the beginning of her paranoia was instantly forgotten as she attempted to process what she had just heard.

She hadn't told her dads anything yet!

Did they find out that her car and phone was taken by the person that actually stole them?

"You talked to my dads?! What did you say? Do they know who you are? Why did you answer the phone in the first place?"

"I didn't look at the stupid caller ID. And of course they don't know who I really am! What, you thought I'd introduce myself to them as the person that stole their daughter's car? No. Instead your father, Hiram, thinks we're friends. A friend whose place you crashed at the night before and forgotten your phone when you went to rehearsals this morning."

Hearing the somewhat passable story that was given to her dad made her stop frantically pacing. She could work with that. If anything, her dads were likely wondering why she hadn't mentioned having a new friend to them since she usually informs them on most of the happenings in her life.

"Oh, Barbra. I'll have to talk to them or at least tell them I lost my phone and give them my new number when the new one arrives. Is that how you know about Broadway?"

"Yeah. That and you're currently rehearsing for a new production. Hiram's pretty proud of you, you know." The woman thief revealed with an edge of wistfulness that Rachel didn't quite catch.

"I know. It's sweet that even to a stranger, he talks about being proud of me. They're the greatest parents I could have ever asked for."

"I bet." A momentary pause. "So, you do whatever you have to do about your fathers. I'm going back asleep."

Rachel found herself frowning at how the woman was being a bit short with her all of the sudden.

There may have also been disappointment that the call was ending too.

"Oh, right, okay. Um. Wait, I'll try my best to not be so… pushy with you. However, it doesn't mean I'm going to stop asking for my car back. That's something you'll have to deal with."

"You might as well get used to rejection, then." It was reassuring for her to hear what sounded like amusement "Have a good night, Rachel Berry."

"Good night, car thief."

Ending the call, a small smile appeared on Rachel's lips, still standing in the spot where she had stopped pacing. She breathed out a laugh at the range of emotions she had went through during the call. It didn't go how she expected it to go.

It was unnerving how at ease the criminal was with pushing her buttons and that, out of all the people, she had spoken with her dads. Rachel had to prepare herself for any questions they might ask when they have their skype session soon.

Besides that. it still had went a lot better than she predicted. Progress was most definitely being made. If their next calls were to be anything like the one they just had, then she was sure that she could convince them to bring her car back soon.

In the meantime, it couldn't hurt to get to know the woman that stole her car. There had to be stories worthy of sharing and all. It was certainly a one in a lifetime chance to get to know a criminal under these unique circumstances. Maybe the knowledge could even come in handy one day if she were to ever audition for a criminal related role.

With a pleased nod to herself, Rachel once again returned to the couch and grabbed the remote to watch some Netflix before heading to bed.

Perhaps she could find a few good crime documentaries to watch.

* * *

AN: I hope you enjoyed getting to know Rachel a little more and of course, the call between Quinn and Rachel. Next chapter will have both of their POVs and more traveling. I want to give a big thanks to my friend/beta Bobbie (teadalek) for creating the amazing cover art for this fic. I love it! Also for anyone interested, I've created myself a ficmix that helps inspire me writing (also gives me fic faberry feels) and I've decided to share it. It's on 8tracks which you can find the link to listen to it on my profile. Thanks! See you next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

Quinn checked out of the motel room the morning after. Her mind and body had deserved the much needed rest . She was feeling rejuvenated and prepared for whatever the day had in store for her. It was beyond refreshing to just go along with the moment and enjoy it.

Back on the road again, she drove aimlessly with easy listening music playing that paired well with the mood inside the car. She was feeling lighter, free of the tension, and finally beginning to feel what she believed was happiness poking at her well guarded walls. It was time to let them form enough cracks to let it in and savor.

It's been too long since she had felt truly joyous about life.

Her thoughts eventually drifted to her latest phone call with Rachel. It was still strange that she was conversing with her when she had stolen her car. She had thought of all possible scenarios after stealing a car, but it had never occurred to her that the person she had stolen from would attempt to speak to her. It made no sense as to why the car hadn't been reported stolen yet.

Like, who does that?

Rachel Berry does, apparently.

Not that Quinn was complaining. She was fully aware that it meant a lesser chance of getting caught. If Rachel wanted to continue believing she would get her car back without alerting the police, then she would happily continue with the calls and find the entertainment in them during her trip.

It was a bit fun to use sarcasm to tease Rachel enough to rile her up. She planned to do so as often as she could, if Rachel decided to turn their conversations more personal again by sharing her observations about what type of person she thought Quinn was.

Hearing someone whom she had never met personally sound so confident about what they were saying had unbalanced her. It may have been mostly regarding her criminal status but it was enough to have someone like Rachel believe that she wasn't out to hurt anybody.

It was unlike all the years old judgements she had left behind in her hometown.

They had been harsh, exaggerated and false.

Rachel had been soft, kind, and understanding.

Quinn wasn't quite sure how to accept that and the feelings it invoked. Instead she latched onto bitterness when Rachel gushed about her amazing proud fathers. Bitterness was familiar to her. It seemed that her and Rachel had complete different lives and families. Rachel was living the sort of life that Quinn had sought out to achieve the second she packed up and left years ago.

Jealousy was an ugly emotion that still reared its head from time to time. Between her exhaustion, jealously, and unwanted remembrance of her life before, it led to her ending the call shortly after. Not without Rachel getting in a few more words though, that actually managed to lighten her mood.

Quinn didn't know what to expect in her predicament with Rachel. She hadn't a clue what could happen tomorrow, next week, or the upcoming months. Things could happen, change or come to an end. There was no way of knowing what she'd get out of the calls with Rachel and how long it'd last.

Wariness still lingered faintly about it all but it was no longer overwhelming her.

Good or bad, all Quinn knew was whatever may happen in the future, she couldn't deny the fact that she was intrigued by Rachel. They had only spoken a couple times and the woman was already getting her to open up a little. Not necessarily with Rachel, but with herself.

It was freeing.

Just like how it felt to drive on the interstate with wind and sun touching her skin.

Today was going to make this road trip of hers official. She had spent most of the time focused on distancing herself from New York and then further into Virginia after bumping into that cop. She hadn't let herself truly enjoy the experience of what it meant to travel through different states she'd never been to before.

It was all going to start with enjoying the scenic views and winding roads that the Blue Ridge Parkway offered. It had been advertised on a billboard beside the interstate, stated that it was only a couple miles ahead, which made it impossible to resist checking it out.

Rachel's phone vibrated with new text messages as she changed lanes. Keeping her eyes on the road, she opened the texts and glanced at them. They were from Rachel, of course.

 _'It's a new day! I hope you're feeling well rested. It sounded like you needed it last night. Despite my overreaction, falling asleep while driving is an actual thing that can happen to people, you know.'_

 _'Keep well rested, take breaks, and conserve your energy. Better yet, to avoid all of this, you can simply return the car to me. :)'_

Quinn shook her head in amusement before placing the phone down to respond to later. It was better safe than sorry and she didn't want to miss her exit to find the Blue Ridge's entrance. Soon enough, she arrived at her destination and parked at one of the many visitor centers along the parkway. After getting a brochure and map that would help her make the most out of the drive along the mountain chain, she reached for Rachel's phone to text the girl back.

'Morning, Berry. I'll be sure to remember your advice as I continue driving further away from New York. I'm touched by the concern.'

Quinn smirked at Rachel's ongoing attempts to get her to return the car. She liked the woman's determination and wondered how long she could continue denying what Rachel wanted before she had enough.

'Nice try.'

Looking back at the map, Quinn decided she'll drive Blue Ridge into North Carolina. She was content with the idea of enjoying the sights of the mountain scenery during her drive that would likely last more than a few hours. There was no set limit of time for her. Quinn could take every moment in without the weight of a large ticking clock on her shoulders.

Hearing the alert of two new text messages, she set aside the map for the phone.

 _'I would've preferred to have read that you were returning but I see it'll take me a lot more to convince you. I don't think I appreciate how many miles you are going to put my car through.'_

 _'Can you at the very least give me a clue as to where you are now or better yet, your name, thief?'_

Quinn huffed out a small chuckle with a response at the ready to further toy with Rachel. Admittedly though, the idea of giving Rachel vague clues for her to obsess over seemed fun.

'Stranger danger!'

 _'Hey! If anyone should be saying that, it should be me since you're the unknown stranger here.'_

'Stranger danger, stranger danger, stranger danger.''

 _'I hope you can feel the heat of my glare wherever you are.'_

'Hm, nope. I'm feeling more of a nice morning breeze from where I am standing.'

 _'I'm going to call you now.'_

Quinn just managed to read the last text before the phone in her hand blared with an incoming call from Rachel.

"You know, you're keeping me from beginning a very nice long drive." She answered the phone with a small grin.

 _"Hook up the bluetooth then. It's in the glove department."_

Quinn let out a quiet "oh" before placing herself back inside the car to set up the bluetooth as Rachel continued speaking.

 _"So, let' me get this straight. You're in a breezy area, a spot where you'll be having this 'very nice long drive' of yours…"_

Hearing Rachel trail off into a thoughtful hum, Quinn knew instantly she was trying to get an idea of where she was. She decided to humor her after all.

"Yes, it'll take me miles but I'm sure the scenic views at this particular altitude will make it a memorable one."

She gave details, tiny ones, but rather generic enough as it still wasn't going to pin point what her location was to Rachel.

 _"Like scenic with trees and winding roads, oh, are you near a body of water?"_

Quinn was positive she was hearing the sounds of Rachel typing away on a keyboard. She chuckled softly, pulling the wired headset from the glove department and began hooking it up to the phone.

"I guess I'll find that out soon enough."

 _"Hm, did you know that in Michigan you are never more than 6 miles away from a body of water?"_

"I did not know that, no."

 _"Is that where you are?"_

Going in the wrong direction, Rachel.

Placing the headset on her head, she could now safely drive without holding the phone to her ear. She started the engine, her excitement rising as she began her drive through the winding parkway.

"Nope. I can't say I've visited there yet. Rachel, you're not going to pinpoint my location with the details I've given, you know? Stop wasting your time."

Rachel huffed through the phone.

 _"I am not wasting my time. I am learning new interesting facts. Nonetheless, you can't blame me for trying my hand at figuring out where you and my car are located."_

"As long as you know that you will most likely fail each time. That's something you're going have to come to terms with."

 _"I think you're underestimating me, carjacker. I don't easily give up on anything that I want, ever."_

"Sure, I'll try to remember that, Rachel Berry."

Quinn tapped her fingers against the wheel, driving the slower speed limit while silently admiring what seemed like an endless amount of trees. She always figured herself to be a city girl though there were times when it sometimes made her feel overwhelmed and claustrophobic. With nature surrounding her with its lack of buildings and people, it gave off such a soothing vibe.

"So...," the blonde eventually muttered after the pause in conversation.

 _"So, can I ask if you even have a destination in mind for this trip of yours?_

"Not really. Isn't that the point of crosscountry roadtrip?"

 _"A roadtrip usually ends where it began."_

"For others, maybe. They have a home and a life to return to. I have nothing in New York waiting for my return. I'm free to travel as far and wide as I want until I decide if I want to settle somewhere."

 _"Oh. Well, what if you did have something?"_

"Have what something?"

 _"Something that you could return to."_

"If I did then I guess I would return to wherever that something was. But I don't. It's only been me since I left home years ago. That's never going to be my something and I've no plans to ever go back there."

 _"Clearly there's a story there that -"_

"That I won't be telling you."

 _"That you won't be sharing, right. I figured that much. What about the years you've been on your own?"_

"Throughout the years, I've been nothing more than a hopeless wanderer. It's not like I've made any close connections with anyone."

 _"You never made any friends?"_

"Not really. Well, except for one guy a couple years back when trying to make a honest living, wearing a diner apron and all, didn't get me anywhere. He stole my wallet, I chased him down, and then he became my friend and mentor in how to live a not so honest lifestyle."

 _"I guess that's one way to make new friends. He's the one that got you into committing crime? Doesn't sound like he was a good influence on you."_

"You're only saying that because if I hadn't met him then maybe we wouldn't be in the predicament we are in now."

Not sure of what to make of the sudden silence on the other end of the line, except that she was most likely correct, Quinn offered up another comment.

"Besides, he taught me how to survive in this world and I'll always appreciate it."

 _"Are you still in contact with him?"_ Rachel finally responded.

"No. I haven't seen him in a long while. He's like me, also the sort to wander off to wherever his body took him."

She wondered how far he had traveled and what state he was in now. Were they close in distance or too far separated? Perhaps she'll get lucky and come across him sometime during her roadtrip.

"Anyways, I think I revealed enough to you today."

 _"See, I'm already proving myself right that I'd get to know you little by little with each phone call I make to you. Oh, speaking of, I will have a new phone arriving soon."_

Quinn wouldn't admit out loud, but Rachel was slowly becoming familiar to her and she made it easy to open up. It made her want to be all the more stubborn but a flash of disappointment distracted her instead.

She did not just feel an annoying brief moment of disappointment over the thought of Rachel possible ending contact between them.

"Oh," She murmured. "What does that mean for this phone?"

 _"I'm not having it turned off, if that's what you're wondering. This way I can talk to you without Kurt constantly worrying over his phone bill. It's been tiresome to constantly fight with him so I can use his phone."_

Quinn ignored the relief that went through her and chose to focus on the fact that this was further confirmation that Rachel would be calling her each day on her trip. She just wondered how long that would truly last until Rachel got tired of it.

"I can only imagine. I guess this is something I'm going have to get used to, isn't it? Keeping you penned into my daily schedule."

 _"Yes but there's time and I'm pretty confident that I'll even get you to look forward to these calls."_

The thing was that Quinn was already starting to look forward to speaking to Rachel.

It was going to become problematic.

"Overconfident, I think you mean. Anyways, I'm gonna let you go now since this drive is calling for my full attention."

 _"Alright, well, have a safe drive then, stranger. I'll speak to you again tomorrow."_

"Tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your day, Rachel."

After saying their goodbyes, Quinn finally disconnected the call and yanked off the headset. That was enough of Rachel for today. Her eyes wanted to feast on the breathtaking sight that the line of trees finally revealed. Between the bright blue morning sky, the changing colors of the leaves, and the chain of mountains that stood in the distance, it felt like Quinn was witnessing a true masterpiece coming to life.

She eventually pulled over to the side and left the car sitting idle to stand outside of it. Inhaling the fresh mountain air, she sighed out contently, shoving her hands into her pockets. It was quite the view to start her day off and she felt happy that she hadn't missed out on learning about the parkway.

This was the beginning of her making a memory to remember each place she visited. Quinn was going to savor each experience and memory. It felt deserved that she was allowed new and better memories to replace the ones that still left their mark on her.

There was only one little irritating thought that was bugging her as she stood and took everything in. Something was missing. It was telling her that this memorable moment shouldn't be admired alone but for it to be shared with someone.

Her imagination briefly visualized someone standing next to her, gaping in awe at the mountains, and squealing that she was right about Quinn being near a body of water when she spotted a stream down in the distance.

Quinn groaned quietly, rubbing her temples to wipe away the picture her brain produced.

She was right.

Things were most definitely going to get problematic.

* * *

Thank you to those that have been patiently waiting for an update to this fic. I hope you'll find that it was worth the wait. Life and writer's block got in the way of writing these past few months. Rest assure though that I will NOT be abandoning this story. I adore this universe and I will write it to its completion. All I ask is for patience from my readers if some chapters end up taking longer than others. Also I want to make it known that I appreciate all the reviews, favs, and follows. It means a lot to me. Lastly, it came to my notice awhile ago that my profile failed to link to the fic mix for those interested. You can find it on 8tracks under the username lonelynation. I may have referenced a song from it on this chapter. ;) May we meet again soon.


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